How to Enable or Disable Password Expiration in Windows 11

Why Password Expiration Matters

Windows 11 password expiration forces you to change your password every 42 days by default to keep your account safe if someone steals your login details. This security feature protects your PC by regularly rotating your credentials, though you can turn it off if you manage your own computer and find the constant updates annoying.

Maximum password age dictates how many days pass before Windows requires a reset, while minimum password age defines how long a password must remain in use before modification. Local accounts default to a maximum age of 42 days and a minimum age of 0 days.

Microsoft accounts enforce a default expiration cycle of 72 days.

Option One

Enable or Disable Password Expiration for Local Account in Local Users and Groups

Local Users and Groups lets you change password expiration settings for individual accounts using a standard window rather than command lines. You can open this tool by pressing the Win plus R, typing lusrmgr.msc, and pressing Enter, but keep in mind that this method only works on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.

1. Open Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc).
2. Do the following:

   • Click on the Users folder in the left panel.
   • Double-click on the local account name you want to change in the middle panel.
3. In the General tab, check (to disable - this is the default) or uncheck (to enable) Password never expires for what you want. Then click OK.
   

   Note: The Password never expires option will be grayed out if the User must change password at next logon box is checked.

4. If you want, you can also change the maximum and minimum password age for local accounts.
5. You can now close Local Users and Groups if you want.

Option Two

Enable or Disable Password Expiration for Local Account in Command Prompt

⚠️ Requires admin privileges

1. Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select Command Prompt.

Enable Password Expiration for Local Account(s)

Command Prompt lets you turn password expiration back on for your local accounts so Windows requires regular updates again. You can apply this setting to every profile on your PC at once by running a quick command, which forces Windows to make you change your password after a set number of days.

2. Type one of the commands below into the command prompt and press Enter:
   

   For all existing local accounts:

   
   

   wmic UserAccount set PasswordExpires=True

   
   

   OR

   
   

   For a specific local account:

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   wmic UserAccount where Name="adminuser" set PasswordExpires=True

   
   

   Replace adminuser with the actual username of the local account you want to enable password expiration for.

3. If you want, you can also change the maximum and minimum password age for local accounts.

Disable Password Expiration for Local Account(s)

Command Prompt allows you to stop your local account password from expiring so Windows never asks you to change it. Running this command keeps your PC accessible without interruption, which is helpful for shared computers or systems that run tasks automatically without someone sitting in front of them.

Disabling the expiration timer stops the operating system from demanding scheduled security updates. Unattended workstations and shared environments often utilize this configuration to maintain uninterrupted operational access.

2. Type one of the commands below into the command prompt and press Enter:
   

   For all existing local accounts:

   
   

   wmic UserAccount set PasswordExpires=False

   
   

   OR

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   For a specific local account:

   
   

   wmic UserAccount where Name="adminuser" set PasswordExpires=False

   
   

   Replace adminuser with the actual username of the local account you want to disable password expiration for.

3. You can now close Windows Terminal (Admin) if you want.

Option Three

Enable or Disable Password Expiration for Local Account in PowerShell

⚠️ Requires admin privileges

1. Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select Windows PowerShell.

Enable Password Expiration for Local Account(s)

What happens: Credentials require modification once the designated expiration window closes.

2. Type one of the commands below into the command prompt and press Enter:
   

   For all existing local accounts:

   
   

   Get-LocalUser | Set-LocalUser -PasswordNeverExpires $false

   
   

   OR

   
   

   For a specific local account:

   
   

   Set-LocalUser -Name 'adminuser' -PasswordNeverExpires $false

   
   

   Replace adminuser with the actual username of the local account you want to enable password expiration for.

3. If you want, you can also change the maximum and minimum password age for local accounts.
4. When finished, go to step 5 below.

Disable Password Expiration for Local Account(s)

Disabling expiration controls halts automated prompts for credential changes. Removing these renewal prompts maintains continuous uptime for automated tasks and server endpoints.

2. Type one of the commands below into the command prompt and press Enter:
   

   For all existing local accounts:

   
   

   Get-LocalUser | Set-LocalUser -PasswordNeverExpires $true

   
   

   OR

   
   

   For a specific local account:

   
   

   Set-LocalUser -Name 'adminuser' -PasswordNeverExpires $true

   
   

   Replace adminuser with the actual username of the local account you want to disable password expiration for.

3. You can now close Windows Terminal (Admin) if you want.

Option Four

Enable or Disable Password Expiration for Microsoft Account Online at Microsoft

Microsoft account password settings must be changed directly through the online security dashboard because cloud accounts do not use local Windows tools. You have to log into the official Microsoft website in your web browser to update your sign-in preferences and manage how often your credentials need a reset.

1. Go to the Change your password site at Microsoft for your Microsoft account.
2. Sign in to the Microsoft site with your Microsoft account to verify.
3. Do the following:

   • Type your current password.
   • Type a new password.
   • Reenter the password to confirm.
   • Check (to enable) or uncheck (to disable - this is the default) Make me change my password every 72 days for what you want.
   • Click Save.
4. Sign in to the Microsoft site with your Microsoft account's new password to verify.
   

Summary

Windows 11 gives you several ways to manage password expiration depending on whether you use a local account or a cloud-based Microsoft login. You can use graphical tools like Local Users and Groups on Pro editions, run quick commands in Command Prompt or PowerShell, or visit the online Microsoft dashboard for cloud accounts.

• Option One: Use Local Users and Groups (easiest for beginners, Pro/Enterprise/Education editions only)
• Option Two: Use Command Prompt with WMIC commands (works on all editions)
• Option Three: Use PowerShell commands (works on all editions)
• Option Four: Change settings online for your Microsoft account

Mandatory credential rotation enforces baseline security compliance across Windows installations. Administrators retain the flexibility to override these restrictions when operational needs dictate continuous uptime. Administrative permissions remain mandatory for all system-level configuration adjustments.